DISTRESS AND THE DCMS
We have just written our fifth letter in a month to the DCMS about the impending disaster in Croydon. As we said in the last newsletter, this cash-strapped borough is…
CILIP JOINS THE FIGHT
We continue to be inundated with dreadful stories about library plans. The sheer size of Birmingham shows up the insanity of cuts (essential social services! 25 libraries! almost all cultural…
November 10: What’s MILA? What’s Unboxed? If you love libraries, you’ll want to know what you missed
On Wednesday 10th, we had a Zoom call on all the things you need to know about libraries. Such as: What has the pandemic done to libraries? How does the…
Thursday 23rd September – libraries on Newsnight
Top news programme Newsnight featured public libraries on Thursday. This was part of an examination of what government cuts are doing to local services. It is well overdue! The Newsnight…
ESSEX CAMPAIGNERS RENEW THE FIGHT
When a plan for mass closures shocked the whole county in 2019, people quickly came together to fight it.Within days SOLE - Save Our Libraries Essex - was formed. A…
Library Campaign Zooms in on a publicity campaign for libraries
A big thank-you to members / representatives of Friends groups who made our first Zoom meeting on 14 April such a success. People attended from all over the country (as…
SWINDON: SPARKS FLY OVER THREAT TO LIBRARIES
Just in time for the local elections on 6 May… a row has erupted over the fate of two libraries in Swindon.A local library campaigner has decided to make the…
LIBRARIES SAVED IN TOWER HAMLETS!
Saved - for now, anyway. That’s the great news from Tower Hamlets, east London, where a determined campaign led the council last week (4 March) to scrap its library cuts. There…
Save Our Libraries Essex online public meeting
Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE) has announced an online public meeting to be streamed live on Facebook as well as available on Zoom. It will be at 19:00 on Monday 8…
Petition to protect library services by ringfencing Government funding for libraries.
Libraries across the country are being closed, cut back and/or outsourced to volunteers as a result of government cuts to local authority budgets. Councils are unable to keep staffed library services open when…
More on saving Northamptonshire’s Libraries
The rally on 17 February (see below) was very successful and include a speaker from the Friends of Birmingham Libraries. The campaign in Northamptonshire goes on. Northamptonshire County Council has delayed…
Save Northamptonshire Libraries rally 17 February
A rally will be held on 17th February taking place in front of All Saints Church, Northampton between 12.00pm and 1.00pm. There will be a range of local speakers and some live music. The…
Developments in Darlington
Things are hotting up in Darlington. The local press reports that a town centre library is up for a change to become a community centre or be sold for redevelopment.…
George supports Carnegie library campaigners
George Hamerton, our junior reporter at the Speak Up for Libraries lobby, visited Carnegie Library in Herne Hill, Lambeth to lend his support. George reports, "On Wednesday 6th April, I…
Defiant Lambeth library campaigners now under siege
At the beginning of the third day of occupying Carnegie Library there had still been no communication with Lambeth elected representatives except to tell them to leave. Lambeth Council is…
Lambeth library campaigners stand firm…
Lambeth residents refused to leave Carnegie library, Herne Hill, Lambeth at 6pm 31st March when the library was due to close to be turned into a gym, with a much…
Bromley council ‘in dock’ over alleged victimisation of Unite branch secretary
A long-standing Unite branch secretary has been subject to an alleged sustained campaign of bullying and discrimination by Conservative-controlled Bromley council, says Unite, the country’s largest union. Papers were served…
Lambeth fights on – party and candle-lit vigil – 31 March 2016
4-6pm, celebration party at Carnegie - to mark determination to fight on.6pm til late - candle-lit vigil at Carnegie AND ALSO NEARBY MINETLIBRARY, also doomed to close from April 1.Lambeth…
Lambeth libraries: snatched from jaws of death – maybe
A thin hope - but a real one - for Lambeth's doomed libraries.Lambeth's awful library plans were officially 'called in' at a councilscrutiny cttee on Tues eve, Nov 10.This is…
The Library Campaign wishes Save Lincolnshire Libraries every success in the High Court on 21 & 22 July 2015
A reminder of Save Lincolnshire Libraries press statement about the hearing and potential Judicial Review that is starting tomorrow in the High Court. http://savelincslibraries.org.uk/2015/06/22/lincolnshire-county-council-library-plans-to-be-challenged-again-in-the-high-court/ Follow for updates: Official Hashtag #LibrariesHighCourt…